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What are the Parliamentary Jazz Awards?

The Parliamentary Jazz Awards have been running since 2005. The categories for the Awards reflect the ever-increasing scope of talent from within the UK’s jazz scene and include:

• Jazz Album of the Year (released in the previous year by a UK band or musicians)
• Jazz Vocalist of the Year (UK-based vocalist who impressed in the previous year )
• Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year (UK-based musician who impressed in the previous year )
• Jazz Ensemble of the Year (UK-based group who impressed in the previous year)
• Jazz Venue of the Year (including jazz clubs, venues, festivals and promoters)
• Jazz Media Award (including broadcasters, journalists, magazines, blogs, listings and books)
• Jazz Education Award (to an educator or project for raising the standard of jazz education in the UK)
• Jazz Newcomer of the Year (UK-based artist, musician or group with a debut album released in the previous year )
• Services to Jazz Award (to a living person for their outstanding contribution to jazz in the UK).

The Parliamentary Jazz Awards are organised by the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group. The Awards were sponsored by PPL from 2005 to 2016. The Parliamentary Awards for 2017 are supported by PizzaExpress Live and sponsored by Peroni.

What is APPJAG?

APPJAG is the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group which currently has 80 members from the House of Commons and House of Lords across all political parties. Their aim is to encourage wider and deeper enjoyment of jazz, to increase Parliamentarians’ understanding of the jazz industry and issues surrounding it, to promote jazz as a musical form and to raise its profile inside and outside Parliament. The Group’s officers as at the 19th July 2017 are Co-Chairs, Kelvin Hopkins MP and Lord Colwyn, Secretary, Baroness Coussins, Vice Chairs, Alison Thewless MP and Sarah Champion MP, the Treasurer is Ian Paisley MP. Officers are: Lord Crathorne, John Mann MP and Sir Greg Knight MP. The Secretariat team is Chris Hodgkins and Sarah Pellew. The secretariat team work on a strictly pro bono basis and no expenses of any kind are paid to them. Further details are available at: https://appjag.wordpress.com/ For further details of the Group including recent minutes and please see: Register of All-Party Groups

Who has received the Awards in the past?

The recipients of the Parliamentary Jazz Awards from previous years are as follows:

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2016

Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Emilia Martensson

Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Alex Hawkins

Jazz Album of the Year: Julian Argüelles ‘Let It Be Told’

Jazz Ensemble of the Year: Empirical

Jazz Newcomer of the Year: Binker and Moses

Jazz Venue of the Year: Seven Jazz Leeds

Jazz Media Award: Jez Nelson/BBC Jazz on 3

Jazz Education Award: Dr Tommy Smith

Services to Jazz Award: Mary Greig

Special APPJAG Award: Evan Parker

Special APPJAG Award: Michael Connarty

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2015

Jazz Album of the Year: Partisans ‘Swamp’

Jazz Vocalist of the Year: Norma Winstone MBE

Jazz Instrumentalist of the Year: Laura Jurd

Jazz Ensemble of the Year: Engines Orchestra

Jazz Venue of the Year (inc. clubs, venues, festivals and promoters): St Ives Jazz Club

Publication: Goin’ Home: The Uncompromising Life and Music of Ken Colyer by Mike Pointon, Ray

Smith, Martin Colyer

Journalist: John Fordham

Venue: Hideaway, London

Services to Jazz: Coleridge Goode

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2010

Musician: Mark Lockheart

Ensemble: Nigel Price’s Organ Trio

Album: No Messin’ – Gareth Lockrane

Broadcaster: Alyn Shipton

Educator: Kathy Dyson

Publication: Jazzwise Journalist: Mike Flynn Venue

Jazz Bar, Edinburgh

Services to Jazz: Brian Blain

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2009

Musician: Phil Robson

Ensemble: Ryan Quigley Sextet

Album; Howeird – Sam Crockatt Quartet

Broadcaster: Sarah Ward

Educator: Richard Michael

Publication: jazzreloaded.com

Journalist: Kevin LeGendre

Venue; Fleece Jazz

Services to Jazz: Val Wilmer

Special Award: Ronnie Scott’s Club

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2008

Musician: Liane Carroll

Ensemble: Empirical

Album: The Amadeus Project – Guy Barker

Broadcaster: Helen Mayhew

Educator: Dennis Rollins

Publication: Jazz UK

Journalist: John Fordham

Venue: Tithe Barn, Needham, Norfolk

Services to Jazz: Paul Pace

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2007

Musician: Gwilym Simcock

Ensemble: Killer Shrimp

Album: Angel Of The Presence – John Taylor

Broadcaster: Jez Nelson

Educator: Pete Churchill

Publication: Jazzwise

Journalist: Stuart Nicholson

Venue: Pizza Express, London

Services to Jazz: Kenny Wheeler

Special Award: Bill Ashton MBE

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2006

Musician: Tim Garland

Ensemble: Jazz Jamaica

Album: Melting Pot – Zoe Rahman

Broadcaster: Julian Joseph

Educator: Simon Purcell

Publication: Jazz UK

Website: Audio-B

Journalist: Jon Newey

Venue: 606 Club

Services to Jazz: Ian Carr

Parliamentary Jazz Awards 2005

Musician: Kenny Wheeler

Ensemble: Tony Kofi Quartet

Album: The Last Time I Saw You – Stan Tracey, Peter King

Broadcaster: Helen Mayhew

Educator: Eddie Harvey

Website: Jazz Services

Journalist: John Fordham

Venue: Wakefield Jazz

Services to Jazz: Kathy Stobart

How do the Awards work?

The first round is by public nomination for the categories. The 2017 Awards received 3250 nominations.

The second round is the short listing process by a panel made up from the jazz constituency. The panel includes, promoters, musicians, journalists, the media, people from jazz education and managers

Voting procedure

Each panel member selects three nominations from the total nominations (in 2017 3,250) from each category; they cannot select themselves if nominated or close friends and colleagues

The panel looks at the list of nominations voted for by the judging panel (for all 9 award categories,) selected from the full list of entries received on the PizzaExpress Live website from the general public within the eligible time period. All categories relate to the calendar year 2016. The lists of the nominations being considered are those nominations by the panel that have multiple votes

The panel discusses each nomination in each award category

The first time round voting is by a show of hands for each entry. The votes for each nomination are counted and noted. Each judging panel member can only vote a maximum of 3 times within a category.

If a judging panel member is shortlisted or is in involved with a nominee in any capacity such business dealings, friendship, band member in any a category they retire from the room until the vote for that category is completed.

The top three scorers in each award category go through to the third round, to be approved as the official nominees, by the members of the All Party Parliamentary Jazz Appreciation Group (APPJAG), who will select the recipients of each award category.

If there should be a tie between3 and 4 then 4 will go to APPJAG.

Other considerations

Previous year’s winner in that category is excluded from being nominated the following year.

The awards are celebrating the best of British jazz and our nominees should truly reflect the diversity and gender of the UK jazz scene.

Albums & publications are only eligible if released (in any format) or published in the preceding year in the UK.

All nominees must be living not deceased.

Previous year’s winner in that category is excluded from being nominated the following year.

The Panel are looking for a broad range for APPJAG members to select the winners from including where possible a popular/mainstream option.

The Panel should have due regard for entries from outside of London and the south east of England — these are UK wide awards.

What’s New?

Since 2005 details of the Awards Panel have remained confidential to avoid Panel members being lobbied or abused by email, online or personally. For the Parliamentary Jazz Awards for 2018 a list of the Panel members will be published on the APPJAG website after the Awards have been completed. The Parliamentary Awards trust that Panel members will be treated with courtesy.

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2 thoughts on “What are the Parliamentary Jazz Awards?”

Hello! We’d love to nominate some of our latest jazz books for the 2018 award. I am not sure if publishers can nominate or not. If so please do let me know the procedure. Our books can be viewed at https://www.equinoxpub.com/home/jazz/

Dear Valery
Just picked up your message. In case I have not replied yes books are eligible for the Awards. So for next year books will have to be published in 2018 for the 2019 Awards. If I had not replied please accept my apologies for the appalling delay.
Kindest regards
Chris